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What it is: A botnet is
a network of compromised computers -- usually, home computers with
a broadband connection. Computers can get hijacked through backdoor
Trojans, the main malware used in English-speaking countries and
PCs with English set as the dominant language, according to Ronald
O'Brien, senior security analyst with Sophos Plc. Once the Trojan
has done its work, a third party can operate the computer, using
it to send spam to other computers without the user's knowledge,
scan for passwords, install keystroke-logging software or await
commands from its master.
Botnets comprise the primary source of spam, says O'Brien. Paul
Wood of MessageLabs says that the hackers behind the botnets are working to make
botnets more robust. Now when anti-spam software interrupts communication in the
botnet, the botnet no longer dies, necessarily. The con artist simply sends a
new channel to one computer, which then shares it with the other computers using
peer-to-peer technology. David Marcus, security research and
communications manager for McAfee Avert Labs, expects botnets to increase in volume
in 2007.
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| Botnets |
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Bot programs can perform automated tasks on users' computers without their knowledge.
While anti-spyware software can clean bot software, in the meantime it can scan
for passwords, search browsing history, capture keystrokes, send spam and report
data back to a third party across the Internet. | |
| Here is an example of what the bot file itself looks
like in memory. The seemingly random words are actually part of a username and
password list. | | | 
| Image
courtesy of McAfee Avert Labs. | | |
What you can do: Keep your
anti-virus software running and up to date. Marcus says that running
daily anti-virus scans should detect and clean any bot software
residing on your computer.
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6 types of Internet scams on the prowl: |
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